Inkstand



Nov. 7, 1939. H. F. KRUEGER INKSTAND Filed March 16, 1938 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED ,STATES Iorig Application March 16,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in inkstands in which ink is automatically supplied from a storage container to a reservoir.

Among the objects of my invention, I aim to provide an easily refillable ink container from which ink flows by gravity to the reservoir `as ink is consumed therefrom, and in which the reservoir ink level is controlled by hydrostatic pressure. Heretofcre it has been difficult to rell such devices, particularly while some ink is still present in the container, for the reason that when atmospheric pressure is communicated to the liquid surface in the container it causes the reservoir to overflow. It is a further object of my invention to provide means for automatically sealing the outlet of the container into the reservoir before the container is opened to atmosphere.

Generally stated, I accomplish these ends by providing, in association with a reservoir, a relatively large ink container having a refilling opening at its top and an outlet at its bottom, which outlet is normally submerged in the ink in the reservoir. A spring actuated valve controls the outlet, said valve having a stem which is normally pushed downwardly by the cover cap of the reiilling opening, to maintain the valve in open position until the cover cap is removed or suciently raised.

By way of example, in the annexed drawing, I illustrate in Fig. 1 a vertical sectional View of my device, with a pen shown in elevation; in Fig, 2 I show a variational form of device; and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, referring to Fig. l, I show a base 5 which may be formed of glass, Bakelite or other suitable material and which may be oi" any desired shape, although I prefer to make it rectangular in horizontal section. The base has an inner wall 6 providing an ink reservoir l, the inner wall presenting a circular, threaded top portion 8. The front top wall of the base has a down wardly tapered portion 9 through which a circular opening l@ is provided to take a pen holding tube H. Tube ll has a flared mouth lla. to facilitate insertion of the pen holder l2. An air passing opening l5 through tube Il and the wall of the reservoir is provided over the ink level L in the reservoir.

An ink container 2E), shown as round in crosssection and which likewise may be formed of glass, Bakelite or other suitable material, has annular threads 2l by which the container is threadedly mounted in the top portion 8 of the base, and the bottom wall 22 tapers to the restricted outlet orifice 23. The top wall 24 of the container has 193s, sei-a1 No. man1 a round flange 25 threaded at 2G, said flange having a portion 2l of reduced diameter to take a soft rubber, cork or other suitable washer 28, the washer resting against annular shoulder 29 on the flange. A cover cap 30 is threaded onto the flanged neck 25, said cappresenting a central downwardly opening socket member 3lv for the purposes now to be described.

For auto-matically closing orice Z3 when cover cap 3&3 is removed or sumciently unscrewed from the neck, I show a conical valve 35 adapted to seat against orice wall 23. 'Ihe bottom portion of valve 35 has a central recess 3% in which seats one end of a coil spring 3l, the other end of the spring fitting over a lug 38 depending upwardn ly from the bottom wall of the reservoir. To prevent rocking movement of the coil spring 3l I preferably make it frusto-conical in shape as shown. Valve 35 has an upwardly extending stem lll), which may be formed integral with or suit ably affixed to the valve member and which fits at its top end in. socket 3l. The length of stem 4U is such that when cover cap- 3l! is fully screwed down on neck 25 the valve 35 is pushed downward,

against spring 3l, from Contact with orifice 23 to permit ink to pass from the container into the reservoir.

When it is desired to refill the container, cap

3B is unscrewed, which permits the spring 3l to move the valve 35 againstorifice `23 to close it before atmospheric pressure is communicated to the inside of the container through the neck over liquid. level L'. To insure that the seal provided by the cap will not be broken until valve 25 is closed, a soft rubber or other suitably yieldable washer 2S is provided around the neck adjacent its top portion. When the cap is fully screwed down on the neck, this washer is compressed between the top wall of the cap and shoulder 29 of the neck, and the width of the washer is such that as it resumes its normal Width as the compression is relieved, the washer will extend slightly above the top of the neck so as to maintain a seal as the cap is being removed.

In the device of Figs. 2 and 3, there is a base 5a having an inner wall 6a, a reservoir la, a pen holder Hb, an opening i517 and a threaded top portion 8a of the construction hereinabove described, Also the container Zta has a discharge orifice 23a, a neck 25a, a cap 30a, and a washer 28a of the construction hereinabove described except that, in lieu of the downwardly depending socket member 3l of Fig. l, the socket` for valve stem lilla. is shown as a conical recess 50 formed centrally of the inside wall of the cap, and the neck has an inner annular flange 5| at its bottom. I-Iere Valve a is moved into contact with orifice 23a to close the outlet by means of stem a passing through the upwardly bowed leaf spring 55. The spring rests at its ends on flange 5| and stem 40a. is crimped at 56 immediately over its point of emergence from the opening a through the spring so that as the spring bows upwardly when the cap is removed, the valve stem is moved upwardly to close the outlet orice.

The details illustrated in the drawing and described hereinabove are for the purpose of making my invention clear and it will be obvious that various modications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim: Y

1. An inkstand comprising a base forming an ink chamber, an ink container mounted on the base, said container having an inlet through which the container may be filled and an outlet communicating with the chamber, a valve controlling the outlet, means for moving the valve into outlet closing position, a removable cap normally closing the inlet, a valve stem extending from the valve into the inlet in position to have one of its ends engaged by the cap to move the Valve into `outlet opening position, and a resilient sealing member surrounding the inlet and being expansible against the cap to prevent admission of air through the inlet, while the cap is being removed therefrom, until the cap is suliciently moved to permit the outlet valve to move into closing position.

y 2. In an inkstand comprising a base forming an ink chamber, an ink container mounted on the base, said container having a neck portion provided with an inlet opening and having an outlet communicating with the ink chamber, the lower portion of said neck being threaded and the upper portion being of reduced diameter to present a shoulder between the upper and lower portion of thefneck, a valve controlling the outlet, resilient means urging the valve into outlet closing position, a cap screwthreaded onto the inlet neck for normally closing the inlet, a valve stem connected at its lower end to the valve and extending upwardly into the neck in position to be engaged by and pressed downwardly into valve opening position when the cap is screwed onto the neck, and a resilient sealing washer mounted on the reduced portion of the neck and being compressible against the shoulder by the cap when the cap is screwed onto the neck, said washer being of a thickness and resiliency suiiicient to expand and form an air tight contact with the neck and cap, during unscrewing of the cap from the neck, until the valve is moved into outle closing position.

HERMAN FREDERICK KRUEGER. 

